# legitimacy vs legitimate

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### legitimacy
*noun · IPA /ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪməsi/ · frequency rank #12,457*
The quality or state of being legitimate or valid; validity.

### legitimate
*adjective · IPA /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/ · frequency rank #4,959*
In accordance with the law or established legal forms and requirements.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/legitimacy-vs-legitimate